Page 73 of Lake of Sorrow

“I know he wouldn’t hurt one of his own people,” Kaylina said, but she didn’t know that. As a man, he wouldn’t, but as a beast, would he recognize friend from foe? Not based on what he’d admitted.

The clip-clop of horse hooves sounded on the road across the river. Numerous horse hooves.

“Kaylina,” Frayvar whispered. “We need to get out of here.”

“I know.” She backed away, though Levitke’s sad eyes made her want to stay and help the taybarri get to the bottom of this. “We’ll find out who’s responsible, all right?”

Levitke whuffed, but the male had turned toward the bridge. He trotted in the direction of the approaching riders.

When Frayvar gripped Kaylina’s arm, she let him guide her into the shadows. They rounded the corner of the jail and slipped into an alley but not before she glimpsed horses and taybarri riding into view, rangers and guards on their backs.

She picked up the pace, passing her brother and urging him into a jog. As soon as the authorities spotted the dead ranger, they would start searching for the responsible party. Since Kaylina and Frayvar didn’t have claws, they shouldn’t be considered suspects, but she had other reasons to avoid being found.

“Why did you ask the taybarri if Vlerion had something to do with that man’s death?” Frayvar whispered as they jogged down a street toward Stillguard Castle.

Kaylina winced. Since her brother had been quiet while Levitke showed her the body, she’d forgotten about keeping Vlerion’s secret from him.

“He was with that ranger in the preserve,” she said.

“They ought to be friends, then, right? Why’d you tell the taybarri that he wouldn’t hurt his own people. Of course he wouldn’t.” Frayvar hesitated. “Right?”

“Right,” she said firmly. Feeling his eyes upon her, she added, “Just forget I said anything, Fray. Please.”

He hesitated. “Okay.”

Despite his agreement, she imagined the cogs and gears in his mind turning, and she sighed, afraid Vlerion’s secret would be harder to keep than she’d guessed.

19

If you don’t have a purpose in life, someone will use you toward their purpose.

~ Lord Professor Varhesson, Port Jirador University

The tower at Stillguard Castle was glowing purple, its window visible over the courtyard wall.

Kaylina bit her lip. She and Frayvar had come through an alley a couple of buildings down the block and stood in the shadows, peering toward it from across the street. She longed to charge straight in to investigate—and to see if the druid honey would affect the plant even more than Grandpa’s had—but her instincts told her to be wary. Between the guards looking for her and the mauled corpses appearing in the city, she dared not assume it was safe to enter the castle.

“Interesting.” Frayvar gazed at the tower.

“Yes. It must take some time before the honey fertilizer affects its glow.”

“But it didn’t take any time for the plant to attack and brand you.” He glanced at her hand.

Even though he hadn’t been there, she’d shared the details.

“The first time, it didn’t do that. Last time, it was… perkier.”

“Perky like a hungry viper?”

“A hungry viper with a branding iron, yes.”

Kaylina looked up and down the street, peering into the dark shadows. As usual, there weren’t any streetlamps lit near the castle, as if the city workers responsible for the duty didn’t want to encourage anyone to visit this particular block at night. Or ever.

It was on her second perusal of the area that Kaylina spotted a human-sized shadow against the wall a few buildings away. It was on the same side of the street as they were, opposite the castle. The man wore a cloak with the hood pulled low while watching the front gate. Was his job to alert someone in case Kaylina returned? Since it was well past midnight, the watcher had no other reason to loiter there, facing in that direction. Someone else might be keeping an eye on the back gatehouse.

Kaylina pointed the person out to Frayvar.

He pulled her back into the alley. “It’s too dangerous for you to go in. They’re probably expecting us to visit.”

---